Hart Hanson & Emily Deschanel Talk Bones Finale & More

This afternoon, I took part in a Bones conference call with series creator Hart Hanson and Bones herself, Emily Deschanel, to talk about this week’s Gravedigger episode as well as the upcoming season five finale.

While there wasn’t too much revealed about this week’s trial of Brennan’s most notorious nemesis, the Gravedigger, fans will be pleased to know that both Hart and Deschanel wasted no time in dishing about the season finale, what’s to come in season six, scrapped plans for a feature-film and what will happen to our favorite Jeffersonian characters when Bones finally ends.

Those wearying of spoilers can rest easy as I split-up the non-spoilers from the spoilers. Unfortunately, everyone has their opinion of what is or is not a spoiler, so I caution all those who read further that there may be some minor spoilers.

Without further ado, please enjoy some of the selected highlights below:

Hart Hanson: We had an interesting dilemma this year… We sort of had two big, finale, type shows this year. We wanted the 100th episode to be about Booth and Brennan’s relationship and then lo-and-behold, the season finale has to live up to that. At least be as interesting, we hope, as the 100th episode.

Emily, you’ll have to interrupt me if I blab too much, but I think our season-ender, in its own way, has as much impact on the future of the show as the 100th episode did. Was that oblique enough?

Emily Deschanel: We can’t give too much away, you see. What happens in the season finale is as impactful for their relationship as the 100th episode.

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ED: Huge things happen in the episode that does change the course of everyone

HH: The whole gang.

ED: It’s funny how subtle things can change people, but it changes people.

On whether fans will have a similar reaction to this season finale as last season finale:

HH: I anticipate a reaction, that’s for sure. I guess the short answer is, yes. This is what we do. We try to keep everyone interested. A season finale is a very good place and the natural place to change the direction of a series and… you’ve got to do that.

I hope there will be some noise about it. Otherwise, we’ll just go gently into that good night – which would be a shame.

On whether there will ever be a season finale that doesn’t cause controversy amongst fans:

HH: No, [because] then I would have to quit my job. [laughs] I hope not. If that happens, you’ll have to let me know and I’ll have to turn it over to someone else.

On whether or not there will be closure in the last few episodes:

HH: What do you think Emily? I don’t think there’s a lot of closure.

ED:No, there isn’t a lot of closure. Maybe the Gravedigger, there’s some closure there.

HH:Yes, there’s some closure and some not closure. Closure is not the word I would use as we barrel into season six. What do you think, Emily?

HH: Oh, we’re very well into it. Six scripts exist for next season and eight stories – including those scripts. So, we’re well into it. As I was writing the season finale, the writer’s room was churning out the stories for next season – we’re quite the machine.

HH: I’ve talked to a few other showrunners and I think we have the nosiest, most involved, fans – if my experience is any indication. They do not shy away from commenting. I don’t know how everyone else feels, but I see that as a very, very, positive thing – even when I’m getting hollered at.

ED: I think it’s a positive thing, too – that people care. Even if they disagree with something, I appreciate people caring so much, but Hart has more experience with the fans directly than I do because he’s a Tweeter… Twitters… Twits… He’s on Twitter. [laughs]

On whether there is a plan set in place for the series finale of Bones:

HH: I have a group of scenes written on my computer that are the end of Bones. Whether or not those become the end of Bones, I don’t know. They’ve lasted so far – since the second season. But, A TV series is very, very, organic – it goes where it wants to go. You can just kind of steer it – give it nudges – there are so many things involved in it.

I do know the ending of Bones. One of the things Emily and I were talking about yesterday is how long will Bones go – how long do we have? We’re going into our sixth season, are we a seven season show? Are we a six season show? Are we a ten season show? That will all change as we try to change and gauge that as to what the ending of Bones is.

I know that sounds oblique. I do know where it’s going, it’s just how many steps there are between then and now, I don’t know.

ED:That’s news to me! If someone knows how to hack into Hart’s computer…

On whether or not there will ever been a Bones feature film:

HH: It’s such a nebulous idea… the real answer is, no. It comes up every once in a while as something we might do. It was even more talked about when we thought that we were a four or five year show. Then I thought that we could do a movie. I think that it would be a lot of fun to do and I think that our actors are up to it and up for it. So far, we are still really, really, busy making a television show.